Gulfstream Updates 12/05/2024

By David Joseph —-

$3M Pegasus (G1) On Radar for Millionaire Post Time

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Hillwood Stable’s multiple graded-stakes winning millionaire Post Time, most recently second in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) Nov. 2, will race again as a 5-year-old in 2025 with the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park as a potential season opener.

Bred and based in Maryland and trained by Brittany Russell, Post Time is entered in Saturday’s Cigar Mile (G2) at Aqueduct, where the 4-year-old Frosted colt drew outermost Post 11 in a field that includes Grade 1 winners Senior Buscador, Book’em Danno, Locked and Mullikin.

“He’ll run next year. I’m going to try to figure out what it’s going to look like,” Russell said. “It’s probably a little early to be like, ‘We’re going back to the Breeders’ Cup,’ but looking at the year I’ll probably pause on him somehow at the beginning of the year, back off of him a little bit and then we’ll gear him up for the second part of the year.”

The 1 1/8-mile Pegasus for 4-year-olds and up headlines a spectacular World Cup Day program of eight stakes, seven graded, and two overnight handicaps worth $5.55 million in purses including the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1) and $500,000 Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G2).

“It’s on our radar. We’ll see how he runs this weekend. If he runs really big, I wouldn’t want to stop on him just yet,” Russell said. “We’re definitely going to entertain the idea. I just want to get through this weekend. It would make sense if we do the Pegasus in January, then we’d have February and March [for a break]. I think Saturday will tell us what we need to know.”

Post Time has never been worse than third in 14 career starts with nine wins and $1,167,910 in purse earnings. Winner of Aqueduct’s Carter (G2) and Laurel Park’s General George (G3) over the winter, he has placed in three Grade 1 stakes including a second in the Metropolitan Handicap June 8 and a third in the 1 1/8-mile Whitney – his two-turn debut – Aug. 3, both at Saratoga.

Post Time trailed the 13-horse field through four furlongs of the Dirt Mile before making his familiar late run, weaving through traffic under regular rider and Russell’s husband, Sheldon Russell, to come within 1 ½ lengths of winner Full Serrano as the sixth betting choice at odds of nearly 8-1. It marked the Breeders’ Cup debut for the Russells as well as Hillwood’s Ellen Charles, the granddaughter of famed businesswoman and philanthropist Marjorie Merriweather Post.

“It was so much fun and we were so proud of him and so excited. I don’t know what would have happened if he won. I think we might have lost it,” Russell said. “I’d love to see him get a Grade 1. He so deserves it.”

Rajiv Maragh Wins 1st Race of Comeback Thursday at Gulfstream – Gaffalione, Castellano Successful in Championship Meet Debuts – Friday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $150,000

1/ST CONTENT expands its South American footprint in new deal with American Racing Channel and Codere for Uruguayan Racing

New distribution deal sees leading racing provider for the Americas extend the its scope of influence into Uruguay with the addition of racetracks at Maronas and Las Piedras

5 December 2024 – 1/ST CONTENT – the pre-eminent provider of premium content for North American horse racing and a key division of 1/ST RACING, the biggest racing company in the Americas – has broadened its growing international footprint with the announcement of a progressive partnership with American Racing Channel, a leading LatAm distributor which holds the rights to the two foremost racetracks in Uruguay at Hipódromo Nacional de Maroñas and the Las Piedras Racetrack.

Grupo Codere, the powerhouse international operator for Hispanic markets, has already agreed to integrate exclusive fixed-odds content, data and signals (broadcast and video streaming) from both Las Piedras and Maroñas. The latter track’s national flagship, the Group 1 Gran Premio José Pedro Ramírez, takes place on 6 January 2025, and also boasts a stellar racecard which features a host of other top-class action, like the Group 1 Ciudad de Montevideo, the Maroñas and the Piñeyrua (both Group 3s).

By leveraging 1/ST CONTENT’s unparalleled expertise in capturing and broadcasting live racing events, coupled to a truly international distribution network and worldwide reach, global fans can now enjoy a best-in-breed racing experience from the comfort of their homes, or on the move.

Simon Fraser, Senior Vice President of International at 1/ST CONTENT, said: “1/ST CONTENT is delighted to establish this partnership with American Racing Channel to broaden the international appeal of Uruguayan horse racing from these two elite racecourses, especially as the famous Ramírez festival hoves into view in early January in the capital of Montevideo.

“Horse racing already benefits from a strong history and robust following across Uruguay and proximate countries like Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Peru, which have produced some high-quality thoroughbreds, trainers and, above all, jockeys who have regularly showcased their skills in the States as well.

“Thanks to this breakout relationship with our friends at American Racing Channel and Codere, we can also provide a more educational service and supporting marketing structure around this content in order to make it easily intelligible to both seasoned fans and unfamiliar audiences.

“Furthermore, working with our alliance partners at Racing1 – the newly founded complete service hub for international racing – we are now able to distribute this content more broadly than ever before. Indeed, racing from the Americas is a great way to help global operators engage new and underserved audiences by delivering 24/7 horse racing, allowing us to return the value to two more stunning racetracks and their hard-working stakeholders.”

Horacio Esposito, Vice President of American Racing Channel (ARC), said: “We are very happy and excited to widen our services for Maroñas and Las Piedras racecourses, now including fixed-odds distribution, thanks to this partnership with our friends at 1/ST CONTENT. Our long-term relationship with the Uruguayan racing industry is a true commitment to collaborate in the growing of the business, and this latest deal demonstrates that progressive intent.”

1/ST CONTENT’s daily timetable of engaging action, whose chronology naturally complements international racing coverage across varied time-zones, provides 1/ST CONTENT’s global partners with a reliable source of fast-settling betting content at peak leisure-time viewing slots throughout diverse territories.

ENDS

Editor’s notes

About 1/ST CONTENT:

1/ST CONTENT is the innovative operating group for 1/ST’s media and content companies. 1/ST is the biggest racing company in the Americas, with a mission statement dedicated to redefining and supporting Thoroughbred horse racing and the ecosystem that drives it.

1/ST CONTENT remains the leading provider of live North American horse and greyhound racing content, managing the content rights, data, odds and signals (broadcast and video streaming) on behalf of a broad portfolio of global partners, allowing them to integrate and deploy ground-breaking technologies to drive new revenue streams. Working with many of the world’s leading fixed-odds, spread-betting and commingled wagering companies (such as Flutter Entertainment, bet365, Betfred, Boylesports, Codere, OPAP, Playtech, William Hill and Entain) we enjoy successful partnerships across Europe, Asia, North, South and Central America, and Australia.